


Gearing Up

by constellraetion



Category: Disney's Toontown Online (Video Game), Toontown Rewritten - Fandom
Genre: Co-Workers to Friends to Lovers, Other, anyways idk what im doin, eventual cartoon/robot romance, i hope all my regular readers ignore this fic, just havin fun, there's no ttr tag oh no, writing out that tag made me laugh a little
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-16
Updated: 2019-07-23
Packaged: 2020-06-29 12:25:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19830181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/constellraetion/pseuds/constellraetion
Summary: Rozzie gets a job working for the Sellbots.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I have a vague plot idea but really this is justme LIVING MY DREAMS writing the toontown fic ive had in my head for nearly 4 years now, thank you toontown rewritten, i love u so much,

“So, let me get this straight- you want to work here. No tricks or jokes, no gags, no toonfoolery. You simply want a position on our engineering team? Paid in cogbucks?” Mover & Shaker designation AP-0110 looked up from the immaculate resume in his hands to fix the dark pink mouse across from him with a look of suspicion. “What, pray tell, is your goal here?”

Rozzie tried not to let her apprehension show as she picked at her skirt. This was technically consorting with the enemy. If this cog approved of her application she’d be an official employee of Cog Nation, the sworn enemy of toonkind. Nevertheless, she steeled herself and tried to look professional. “My goal is to learn what I can to improve my own skills while assisting the team you assign me to. Respectfully, sir,” she managed to get out- avoiding the squeak that had been building in the back of her throat. “Being an engineer in Toontown is a frustrating endeavor. I’m sure I don’t need to inform you of it, but even within the Resistance, no one really takes things that seriously. I want to work someplace that will help me be better than I already am.”

The classic, ever-present toothy grin trademark to Mover & Shakers was missing from AP-0110’s face as he gave her another look over. Almost every part of him screamed and clicked and whirred out that he shouldn’t trust the toon. He should be crushing her beneath his heel instead, grinding away at her laff meter until it was empty and she was returned to the nearest playground, a miserable frowning creature.

And yet.

Her resume was indeed well written, and the demonstration she’d provided- the return of three whole cogs that she’d managed to reassemble following a few battles she’d witnessed other toons partaking in -were proof that her skills could be invaluable to them. The engineering team already struggled with keeping up in the wake of the dreadful resistance operation that left their defenses down and the V.P. vulnerable to attack. But could they risk trusting a toon?

“I accept your application,” he began, but before she could jump up to shake his hand, he stood and held up a finger. “Ah ah ah! I wasn’t finished..”

Tilting her head slightly with confusion, Rozzie narrowed her eyes.

AP-0110 found his smile returning to his face. “I will have you fast-tracked to work with our head engineer, directly under the Foreman. We desperately need it, considering how our production levels still aren’t what they were before that- what was it called... Siege Sellbot?”

“Storm Sellbot. Sir.”

“Yes, well, regardless, there’s much work to be done, and someone of your skill will go to where it is most needed. I think you will find that hard work does not go unappreciated here,” he beamed, before tapping his chin. “But all of that will happen after you perform one simple errand.”

Rozzie couldn’t help herself. She pushed herself out of the- admittedly hard and wildly uncomfortable -chair she’d been sitting in and stood at the edge of AP-0110’s desk, bouncing on her toes. “One thing? Piece of cake- I mean, easy! The resistance had me doing like, a million fetch quests. I can handle one thing.”

Ignoring the sudden burst of unprofessionalism (she was still a toon, after all), AP-0110 tsked lightly before moving around the desk to place a hand on her head- although he needed to lean down to do so.

“My dear, all you must do is this. Accompany me on one of my routine street checks and scheduled meeting with the Senior Vice President of Sales,” he said.

Rozzie paused. “That’s it? Really? I just have to take a quick jaunt with you down one of the streets and then come with you to see your boss? I thought you were gonna, like, have me fax you my formal resignation from the resistance or something like that.

“Could you do that, actually?” AP-0110 perked up slightly.

“No need, I came prepared,” she said, pulling a thin, plastic covered sheet out of her hammerspace and handing it to him. “It’s laminated.”

Ignoring how the whir of his internal fans clicked on at the sight of the perfectly covered and personally signed and stamped resignation letter, AP-0110 coughed into his hand as he slipped the page onto his desk. “Very good,” he muttered, not particularly liking how fast this toon was growing on him. “Now, I will be expecting you for the street check in front of Sellbot Headquarters at around 0700 this Tuesday. Please do not be late, it would not reflect well on your punctuality score.”

Grinning ear to ear, Rozzie gave him a lazy salute as she pulled out her black hole and dropped it on the ground. “Don’t worry about a thing, Boss! I’ll be there!” With a wink and a hop, she was gone, leaving AP-0110 to stare at the spot where she’d just been standing, alone with nothing except the faint sound of his fans to keep him company.

After a moment or two, his office door opened to reveal a Cold Caller, who looked up at him with thinly veiled concern.

“I heard you were interviewing a toon. Did, uh... did it go well?” they asked, and AP-0110 could only sigh.

“We shall see.”

🥧⚙️

Rozzie sat in front of Sellbot Headquarters, just off to the side where no one would see her. AP-0110 would be arriving soon. She’d dropped by half an hour early, just to make sure she wouldn’t miss him. Fighting off a yawn, she bounced her leg and tapped her footpaw against the sidewalk as she stared up at the sky. Would he drop in with his propeller? Or just walk out to meet her?

“Miss Roslyn-” A sudden robotic voice had her jumping to her feet. “It seems that you arrived early. I should commend you for that.” Rozzie nodded, shaking away the dizziness from being startled.

“Actually, Rozzie is fine. That’s what everyone calls me,” she said, and AP-0110 blinked at her.

“Perhaps, but that is not the name written down in my files. In any case, shall we proceed, Miss Roslyn?” Rolling her eyes slightly at his formal response, she nodded.

“So uh, how are we doing this? Do I just-” Rozzie stopped when he held up a hand and turned to begin walking. Jogging slightly to keep up with his much longer legs, she squeaked out a laugh. “Does this mean I can’t ride on your shoulders?” She stifled her giggle at the look he gave her.

Scoffing, AP-0110 led her down the street, his hands neatly folded behind his back. “Your purpose on accompanying me to the end of this street is for practicality purposes. That is to say, if your loyalties are truly with Cognation, you will assist me along this route and defend me in battles need be.”

Slowing to a stop, Rozzie blinked once, then twice, before running back after him, her paws hitting the pavement with added force. “Hold on a second- how the heck am I supposed to do that? Gags don’t hurt toons, and if the resistance caught wind of a toon helping a cog in a fight-”

“I’m sure you’ll figure out something. Quick thinking and overcoming problems is a useful skill in the engineering field,” AP-0110 said, his grin widening even as Rozzie balled up her fists, practically running to keep up with him.

Her mind spun about even as they neared the end of the street, cogs and toons alike shooting them glances of confusion. It wasn’t until they were almost to the tunnel that Rozzie’s head shot up as she caught sight of two toons, a blue dog and a yellow rabbit, both of them pointing at AP-0110 and shouting excitedly.

“A Mover n’ Shaker! I only need one more to finish this toontask-” barked the dog, too caught up in the joy of being able to complete a mission to notice her, while the rabbit already had a pie slice in one hand, an enthusiastic smile on their face.

“Wait- hold on, this is my cog!” Rozzie shouted, jumping in front of AP-0110, who simply stood in place, waiting to see the scene play out.

The other two toons gave each other matching looks of bewilderment before turning back to her. “In that case, can we help you finish him off? Cause I’ve been trying to finish this task for days and-” The dog jumped slightly when she honked a bike horn in his direction.

“Nope! No, no you can’t. Sorry, I’m a selfish selfish toon and this cog is all mine!” she practically sang, patting AP-0110’s arm and ignoring how he quickly pulled it away from her, brushing himself off. “Go find another one! There’s dozens out there. Hundreds.”

Furrowing their brow, the rabbit stepped forward, raising their pie as they glared at the Mover & Shaker next to her, unbothered by her words. “Well we need this one, and from the looks of it you ain’t even in a fight. So we’re going to blow up this cog!” Rozzie forced down the feeling of nausea that rose up in her as the dog pulled out a gag as well, the light on AP-0110’s chest medallion switching on to green to show that he’d officially been engaged in battle. Grimacing, she glanced up to his unbothered face as he waited for the toons to make the first move.

Squeaking loudly, she withdrew a seltzer bottle from her pack and sprayed it in both of their faces. Spluttering with surprise, both throws from the other toons missed, but before she could apologize, AP-0110 grabbed her by the back of her denim vest and held her aloft. “I do believe it is time for you toons to be moving along,” he said, with as much amusement as a cog could manage just before he began jumping up and down. Safe from the quake attack in his hand, Rozzie covered her eyes so she wouldn’t have to see both toons stumble and fall, their laff dropping significantly.

“Hey- what’s going on here!” the rabbit yelled after picking themself up off the ground.

Uncovering her eyes, Rozzie waved her hands. “Look, I’m sorry! It’s just that I kind of have a lot riding on this and-”

“You’re helping a cog!” the dog howled, pulling out a button that would undoubtedly cause some sort of heavy object to plummet from the sky if pressed. Gasping, Rozzie wriggled out of AP-0110’s hold and did her best to shove him aside, which only really resulted in him moving over a foot or so, which was just enough, as the drop gag was activated and an anvil dropped from above. The heavy object landed on her head, and Rozzie squeaked as she dropped to the ground, birds flying around her head as she sat there incapacitated. It was almost worse than being crushed by the stompers in the Mints. Almost.

Dizzy as she was, she didn’t see how the smile on AP-0110’s face dropped the slightest bit at seeing her take the hit for him, and as he scooped her up under one arm, he made quick work of the shocked dog and rabbit with one more quake attack. The sound of the two toons going sad was music to his audio receptors, and as Rozzie slowly regained awareness of her surroundings, she mumbled out a “Did we win?”

“Indeed we did, Miss Roslyn. I must say, excellent work there. Though I will admit, you being struck with that anvil was not exactly an outcome I predicted from this situation,” he said, hints of concern bleeding through even with his monotone voice.

“Ehh.. what can I say. I have the drop track myself. You don’t learn how to use it without getting a few headaches,” she managed to get out, a halfhearted laugh finishing her sentence as she went limp in his hold.

“...Miss Roslyn? Hello? Are you alright?” AP-0110 asked, noting her halfhearted noise of acknowledgement as he picked her up with both hands. “I thought you said gags are not capable of harming toons. Should I reschedule our meeting with the Senior Vice President of Sa-”

“No!” She straightened up only to sink back down again, holding one hand against her head. “I mean, ugh, can I have a minute?”

“Considering what you just went through, I do believe a brief respite has been earned,” he said quietly, before moving to hold her against his chest as he unlatched his propeller. Ignoring her startled gasp as he took off, AP-0110 headed back to Sellbot Headquarters.

🥧⚙️

“I know it sounds strange, or perhaps even incredulous, but believe me when I say this toon can be trusted, Sir.” AP-0110 stood atop the Senior Vice President of Sales’ desk, Rozzie at his side. This could be big for them. For years, the Sellbots had been considered the least useful out of all the cog types. Never mind that it was their profits which helped to cover the costs for the other three branches, they were looked down upon, and even mocked by the most other cogs. But with an expert engineer on their team- one capable of rebuilding smashed cogs and working with their admittedly archaic construction -perhaps the Sellbots could once again reclaim some prestige and gain some traction against the Toon Resistance. She aided me in a battle against other toons- even took a gag hit for me. I will vouch for her presence here, and should she betray us, I will take full responsibility.” Rozzie gasped at AP-0110’s words, glancing back at him and noting that his smile seemed a bit more genuine.

The VP swiveled his head about to look at the toon on his desk, leaning forward to get a better view of her as she stepped out to the side, just out of arms reach of the other cog. “Are you sure?” He seemed almost hesitant to even have her in his office, his eyes narrowing in her direction before AP-0110 leaned to the side and rested his hand on her shoulder, the cold metal somehow reassuring.

“A hundred and ten percent, Sir.”

“I don’t think that the math works out like that, but-” The VP’s face spun around from his frowning side to the side with the smile on it, “I trust you have the best intentions for the rest of the Sellbots in mind! Congratulations, Miss Roslyn. Welcome to the fa- team!” Noting the near slip-up, Rozzie wrapped both paws around one of the VP’s fingers in a poor approximation of a handshake, ignoring how she was jostled up and down for a few seconds before being set back down on the desk. Turning to AP-0110, she noted the hint of pride in his eyes as he extended his own hand for her to take, but instead of shaking it, he clasped his other hand over hers, squeezing it lightly.

“You have my gratitude, Miss Roslyn. I should have your schedule posted to you by tomorrow,” he said with a grin, which Rozzie returned with her own even as he let go.

“Thank you.. I promise I won’t let you down. I’ll be the best engineer this Headquarters has ever seen!” she crowed, just before pulling out her black hole. “And thanks for your time too, Big Boss!” She gave a casual salute to the VP as she vanished down the hole, and both cogs sighed once she was gone.

The VP leaned back slightly on his undercarriage as AP-0110 dropped his shoulders. “She certainly is... something. But! It’ll all be worth it if things go according to plan! Did she really resign from the Toon Resistance?” the boss cog asked, eyes focusing on his subordinate.

“I- yes, Sir. I hung her resignation letter in my office,” AP-0110 mumbled out.

Going still with surprise, the VP found his smile widening. “You know what? I think I might actually learn to like this toon.”

“I hope so, Sir.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rozzie gets an assistant and takes an extended nap.

Rozzie yawned as she took a look at the blueprints on her desk. The Foreman had asked her for suggestions on improvements they could make so the parts they made were more durable- harder to break with gags and general toon interference. Although it wasn’t the most difficult task ever, she still enjoyed it, pointing out places in their suits that could be designed to allow less pie filling and cake icing through, increasing sugar and rust resistance, creating gears that wouldn’t lock up even after withstanding a whole barrage of gags.

Bringing her own arsenal to work meant she was free to test the durability of the prototypes as well, and in the few months she’d been working there, she noticed that the cogs who used to come for weekly, or even daily repairs and maintenance were showing up less and less. Likely they were doing better at succeeding at making other toons sad, she thought, but the familiar pang of guilt she felt at the reminder had gotten smaller with time as well. The toons always recovered anyways.

A light knocking drew her back to the present. “Uh, Roslyn? I hate to be a bother-” Rozzie looked up at the Name Dropper peaking around the corner of the door and waved her in. Some of the lower level cogs were hesitant to be near her due to her...tooniness, but the ones who did decide to try and get on her good side were always happy about the special treatment she showed them when she was on the repair & maintenance shift.

“What’s up-” she squinted at the cog in question, “AB-813?”

AB-813’s lips parted in a brief smile. “I can never understand how you’re so good at telling us apart.” Rozzie grinned.

“I’ve put you back together once or twice, haven’t I? Of course I recognize you,” she said proudly, before setting aside the blueprints on her desk. “Now, what can I do for you?”

“The Foreman said to tell you that you’ve been doing a great job so far these past couple of weeks. He’s super impressed! Never seen this many cogs coming back before.” AB-813 gave her a thumbs up, and Rozzie felt her heart jump for joy. AP-0110 was right. Her hard work was most certainly appreciated by almost every cog she spoke with. “Actually, he wanted to give you an assistant. You know, someone to do all the legwork while you’re focusing on more important things.” Now that had her perking up. She’d had a slight problem with the fact that a lot of her job required moving heavy things- it was work better suited to a cog than a toon- who wobbled under the weight of most things -and due to her height, she struggled with retrieving parts for the much, much taller Twofaces, Minglers, and Mr. Hollywoods.

“Whoa, really? Is that an official statement? Like- straight from the Boss’ mouth?” even as she spoke, her smile was growing. Hopefully she’d get a cog that was good at lifting. A Glad Hander, perhaps, or even a Twoface! The giggle escaped her before she could stop it, and not even the look AB-813 shot her could suppress her good mood.

“Yep, I even brought the paperwork with me. All you have to do is sign off on it.” At that, Rozzie practically threw herself across her desk for a pen, signing her name along the dotted lines almost before the paper was properly set down. “Well, you’re sure excited.”

“Do you know how much time I lose on repairs and engineer work just from having to lug all my supplies back and forth between the workshop, parts & services, and this office? It’s a lot! Sure, I never skip leg day, but I could do with never having to feel like my arms are going to fall off again,” Rozzie babbled energetically, rubbing her hands together. “So, who am I getting as help?”

“A Cold Caller?” Rozzie stared down incredulously at the little blue cog. He was smaller than her, for pete’s sake. How was he supposed to help her with her work? Fighting off a grimace, she held a hand out for him to take.

“Designation DO-11412 reporting for duty, Ma’am,” his voice was higher than the other Cold Callers, and she wondered if perhaps, they’d foisted him off on her because of it. Regardless, he returned the handshake and she tried not to wince at the title.

“Oh gee, please don’t call me that. Makes me feel old. Call me Rozzie,” she said, before turning to the massive pile of parts she knew she had to move to the factory workshop. “Do you think you can help me with these?”

“Okay, Miss Rozzie.” The typical Cold Caller scowl had been replaced with a look of curiosity, and when DO-11412 looked back at the heap they needed to relocate, Rozzie couldn’t help the faint smile that made its way to her face as he furrowed his brow and attempted to lift the entire stack at once.

Pushing the remainders of her disappointment out of her mind, she placed a hand on DO-11412’s shoulder. “Hey, wanna help me build a cart?”

With both of them pushing the newly built cart, designed for transporting parts to and from the various places in Sellbot Headquarters, Rozzie found that her workdays were much smoother. For whatever reason, her new assistant found the manual labor significantly more rewarding than paperwork, preferring to watch her reassemble his fellow cogs- and help to maintain the ones not in multiple pieces -over patrolling the streets. It wasn’t too surprising to her. He was only a level two, easy pickings for anytoon with a spare pie slice on hand or some boredom to kill. Back when she was in the Resistance, she’d never blown up a cog without a reason. Now, she’d rather DO-11412 be in the workshop with her, instead of on her work bench having his arms reattached.

“Miss Rozzie, what should I do with these?” A wave of fondness swept over her at the title. Her assistant was the only cog who used her nickname, even if slightly more formally than she’d like. Glancing away from where she was tightening a few bolts on a Mr. Hollywood’s legs, she saw DO-11412 hoisting a few replacement parts for the larger cogs over his head.

Ignoring the pang of worry that sprung up at seeing him holding such heavy things over his head, Rozzie waved him down with her free hand. Why did she feel like fretting over him? He was a cog! Those parts weren’t gags; the worst that could happen was him getting dented if he dropped them on himself. Besides, even if he did get damaged, she’d be right here to fix him up. “You can leave them right there, actually, RO-9312 is the last one for the day,” she said, pulling on her wrench one more time before giving the much bigger cog a light pat on the thigh. “Make sure you keep those joints oiled up, big guy. You don’t wanna go stiff in the middle of a fight, now.”

RO-9312’s million cogbuck smile shone a little brighter at that, standing and folding himself nearly in half to shake her paw. “Thank you very much, Miss Roslyn. Have a wonderful evening,” he winked and Rozzie sent him on his way, resting a hand on her hip as she watched the last of her “patients” stride proudly out the door. DO-11412 shuffled over to her side.

“Are you alright, Miss Rozzie?” Actually, she was fighting off exhaustion. Although she enjoyed her job, she was still a toon, and the grey, smoggy atmosphere of Sellbot Towers affected her differently than the cogs. She really needed to submit her suggestions about that to the V.P.

Giving DO-11412 a tired smile, she patted him on the shoulder and bit back another yawn. “I’m good. Just ready to head home,” she mumbled, dropping her wrench into her toolbox and closing it. “You should head back to the towers, I’ll close up here.”

Nodding to himself, DO-11412 lightly dusted off his suit before turning to head towards the factory exit. Instead of leaving, however, he looked back at her. “Goodnight, Miss Rozzie. See you tomorrow.”

Why was she looking forward to that so much? Perhaps she should stop thinking so hard, she’d repaired dozens of cogs that day. Closing her eyes and waving in his general direction, she chimed out a, “I sure will!” before the yawn she’d been trying to stop finally escaped her.

Once DO-11412 was gone, she dragged her feet in cleaning up parts & services. Her gloves were covered in oil, and even the durable work clothes she wore were now sporting several more rips and tears in various places. She wanted to get home to her bed, but after a few more minutes of halfhearted organizing, she was tripping over her feet, and the giant gear she sometimes used as a bench was looking like a comfortable place to get a wink or two.

Crawling into the hole in the center, Rozzie ignored the dull flickering of the lights above her and curled up into a ball. She’d just close her eyes for five minutes, finish cleaning, clock out, then go home.

🥧⚙️

AP-0110 was done with his work day. Disappointment rose up within him as he thought about all the papers he wouldn’t get to sign now that he was officially done for the evening, but upon remembering the inevitability of another day rife with sales, his gigawatt grin returned in full force as he headed to check himself out. However, upon reaching the time clock, he found another punch card besides his own. Pulling it up, he blinked at the sight of Rozzie’s name written in her own toonish scrawl across the top.

“Did she not go home yet?” he asked himself, glad that he was the last cog left in the building. Grabbing both his and Rozzie’s cards, he punched them both out before hastily making his way towards her office. When he didn’t find her in her office or the Sellbot Towers workshop, AP-0110 snapped his fingers with recognition and left the building, quickly walking across the empty grounds to the factory.

When he stepped foot into parts & services, after turning on the lights, he couldn’t help but wince at the disarray he saw. Spare parts were haphazardly stacked together in a corner of the room, and the workbench where Rozzie did her repairs was still covered with grease. As he gingerly stepped over a few tools left outside her toolbox, he found the toon in question nestled within the center of a large gear on the floor.

For a brief moment, he simply stared.

Never before had he seen a toon quite so...vulnerable. Before, if the opportunity had arisen, he would’ve taken this moment to get the upper hand, but now, he wasn’t staring down an enemy. Leaning down to gently grab her shoulder, he gave it a light squeeze before shaking her slightly. “Miss Roslyn? It’s well past work hours- you should be home by now.” All he got in return was a tired mumble. Toonish nonsense, he thought, before looking down at his hands and questioning his next course of action.

As a mouse, she was lighter than most. That was his first observation as he carefully scooped up his subordinate, holding her in the crook of his arm as he kept her close to his chest. Turning off the light with his free hand, he stepped out of the factory and tried to activate his propeller as quietly as possible. The whir-click of the blades thankfully only lasted a moment before they were high in the sky, with him recalling her address from the application she’d given him during their first meeting.

It was amazing how time flew.

AP-0110 was especially hesitant about landing in a toon estate, but there was little he could do besides try to make as little noise as he could upon touching down. It was then that he realized he still needed to get Rozzie inside her house. Shoulders tense, he tried to keep a firm grip on her as he searched for her house key, only to chide himself mentally when he remembered the kind of creatures he was dealing with. Of course her door wouldn’t be locked. Toon buildings never were. If they didn’t want you to come inside, the residents simply removed their doors.

After slipping inside, he sighed with relief, ducking his head and carrying the still unconscious mouse all the way to her bedroom. It was a simple act to set her down on the cushioned surface, and although he figured she would rather be in her night clothes, he’d already overstepped no less than three to five boundaries that night. She would be fine as is.

Drawing the thick, plush blanket up to her chin, AP-0110 considered his job done. Yet, before leaving, he couldn’t help but smooth his hand over the curled fringe of fur atop her head. Noting the contented sigh she made, he stepped back, unsure if she’d awoken or not. When it seemed like she would stay asleep, he nodded once. “Sweet dreams, Miss Roslyn,” he whispered, before making his way back outside to Sellbot Headquarters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i should probably outline this!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rozzie has a very important meeting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there's a tragic lack of apollo in this chapter but dont worry he'll be back soon

“You know, it was just the darndest thing!” Cocoa said, lifting up her mug so she could take a practiced sip from it. Drinking from cups wasn’t easy when your mouth took up two thirds of your face. “I could’ve- I could’ve sworn I saw a cog here last night! But that’s ridiculous, cogs don’t come to toon estates, and besides, what could a cog possibly want with us? I mean, I mean, you know after Rozzie- such a sweet girl, that Rozzie -resigned from the Toon Resistance, well, only Lucky really cares about smashing cogs! And, and she doesn’t even do it because she hates cogs, you know? She just loves a challenge. Odd one, that Lucky, but who am I to judge her vices?”

Resting her head in her hand as she absently drank from her own mug, Beatrix tried not to groan as the well-meaning crocodile continued to babble about cogs and their neighbors. “It was probably just her flappy cog that you saw, Cocoa. That thing gives me the creeps,” she muttered, closing her eyes and trying to fight off the headache that was approaching. It hadn’t been easy, finding an estate not populated by cog fighters and resistance members, but she’d done it, and even if her most talkative neighbor was toonish enough to even drive  _ another _ toon to the point of feeling like an exploding cog, it was still leagues above living with a bunch of people who literally exploded cogs. “You should like, close your windows at night. Keeps your imagination from running wild.”

“Oh, but Bea! The imagination is a truly wonderful thing! Why should we stifle it when-” Beatrix did, in fact, groan out loud as Cocoa started on another tangent.

🥧⚙️

Rozzie hurried to work with a cupcake in her mouth and a glass of water in one paw as she slapped down her black hole with her free hand, popping up in Sellbot Headquarters just before the day was slated to begin. She couldn’t afford to be late today of all days.

While the V.P. underwent maintenance after every fight he had with the toons, he only had a full systems check every so often, and this was the first time Rozzie would be present for one. Perhaps, she’d even get to assist with it!

Her paws kicked up small plumes of dust as she raced to parts & services to retrieve her toolbox, while the elevator ride up to the V.P.’s personal quarters after felt like an eternity of waiting. Eventually, she reached the top, and couldn’t help but smile at the Foreman and his team, as well as the V.P. himself, who looked a little worse for wear, despite not having fought any toons that week.

“Good morning Sirs, thank you for granting me this opportunity to watch,” she said, only for the V.P. to give her a small, tired smile.

“Actually, Miss Roslyn, we were hoping you’d provide a little extra help today.” His words had her footpaws tapping excitedly before he’d even finished.

Her toolbox was open, and the Foreman was rolling his eyes as best he could, his team giving off coggish chuckles of amusement at the sight of her enthusiasm. “Really? I’m at your service, Sir! Whatever you need!” Inside she was screaming with joy. She was going to get to see the inner workings of a Boss Cog. Her! The first of all toons to ever find out just what made one tick! Shoving down a giggle, she watched as the V.P. lowered his undercarriage and motioned for her to come closer.

“For starters, it’s getting kind of hard for me to get around, and the Foreman already inspected my treads, so the issue must be with-”

“Your engine! Oh, pardon me for a moment, Sir, but what a marvel! It’s simply fantastic!” she cried, inspecting the motor and trying not to weep with joy at the sight of it.

“It- it really isn’t anything special. All the other bosses have newer models-” he tried to say, but jolted when Rozzie began checking the now exposed sections of his gears.

The scoff she let out echoed from within the metal chamber. “Not to speak ill of them, but none of the other Boss Cogs have to put up with what you do on a regular basis, Sir. With the exception of the C.F.O., but toons don’t try to take him on as often,” she muttered, placing her wrench between her teeth as she reached for a gear, grimacing as her hands made contact with dried pie filling. “Y’rr in excepsh’nal wrkin cndishn, cnsidring th crcmstnshes.” From atop his carriage, the V.P. blushed.

Stepping out from his undercarriage, she dropped her wrench and pulled off her gloves, glancing at one of the Foreman’s team members, who was watching with rapt attention. “Hey, could you get my assistant to bring a couple things from parts & services for me? He’s designation DO-11412. Ask him to grab every can of su-gone and gag proofing spray we’ve got.” The skelecog nodded and headed for the intercom while Rozzie looked up the the V.P. who had his hands folded over his stomach as he attempted to look unbothered by her troubled look. “I’ll be honest with you, Sir. It looks like a pie factory exploded down there. But don’t you worry! I’m  _ really _ good at my job,” she grinned.

As soon as DO-11412 arrived with what she’d asked for, all the cogs in the room got to work on cleaning out the V.P.’s undercarriage. Rozzie’s sugar dissolvent managed to clear out most, if not all of the pie filling clogging up his gears, and afterwards, they set about coating the entirety of his engine and treads with the gag proofing spray. Once they were done, they watched the V.P. roll around his office, a smooth hum accompanying his movements as opposed to the clunky rattle from before.

“Wow! It’s like new again! Excellent work, Miss Roslyn,” he chimed out, his head spinning around once as he stretched.

Rozzie beamed at the praise, setting a hand on DO-11412’s head as he grinned as well. “Thank you very much, Sir! With the gag proofing spray, the cream from those pies shouldn’t bother you anymore. However, I did have one additional suggestion, if you wanted to hear it that is.”

Waiting with bated breath, she could’ve jumped for joy as the V.P. leaned down for her to climb onto his hand. “I believe after today, I’d say your advice is worth twice it’s market value. What’ve you got?” he asked, and Rozzie took a deep breath.

_ “Guardrails! _ Why not install them all around the promotion perch? I mean, the cogs you promote always fly off the launch pad anyways- so they won’t be hindering anyone’s movements. And even if the other toons find a way to get around what we’ve done with your undercarriage, you won’t be able to fall off because there’ll be a barrier keeping you from going over the edge!” she let all the words tumble out of her mouth like a geyser and when she was done, the V.P. blinked once, twice, then spun his head around again.

“Gee, why didn’t I think of that? I’ll have my team get on it right away! Thank you, you’re a life saver, Miss Roslyn. Literally!” Both of them were beaming now, and as Rozzie began packing her things, her mind was already filling in the gaps of her last idea with another.

“No, thank  _ you, _ Sir! For giving my ideas a chance!” she said, before pausing, sending DO-11412 back to the workshop ahead of her. “Actually, would it be alright if I brought you any other viable suggestions I might have in the future?”

The V.P. nodded as he rolled over to his desk. “Absolutely, Miss Roslyn. If they’re as good as today’s, then I’m interested!” His approval felt better than a fairy dust toon-up, and Rozzie shook with glee as she grabbed her toolbox.

“Thank you, Sir! You won’t regret this!” She cried, unable to stop herself from hollering as she leapt into the elevator back down to the normal levels of Sellbot towers.

From within his office, the V.P. took in the sound of his engines running smoothly for the first time in years and relaxed on his treads, humming contentedly.

🥧⚙️

“Miss Rozzie?” DO-11412’s inquisitive voice drew her head up from where she was poring over the plans she and the Foreman had worked on together. Setting aside the factory renovation blueprints, she watched as her assistant sat down on one of the work benches beside her, a flower carefully cradled in both his hands as Rozzie signed off on the blueprints, turning to face him fully as she rolled up the paper in her hands.

“Yeah? Whatcha got there, bud?” she asked, blinking at the laff-o-dil resting in his palms.

DO-11412 stared at his flower before looking back up to her. “I don’t understand it,” he muttered tilting his head as if attempting to view the flower from a better angle. “What is it about these that makes toons so attracted to them?”

“Well, they’re bright and colorful-” Rozzie reared back at the frustrated grinding sound coming from his engine.

_ “Yes- _ they are entirely distracting! I saw this flower just outside of headquarters and I felt as though I  _ had _ to pick it up! How can anyone focus on work with such things practically screaming for their attention?” DO-11412 grimaced, yet still remained gentle with the flower before handing it off to her. “Here... I suppose you’ll find more use out of it than me.”

Ignoring the urge to explain to her cog assistant that flowers didn’t really have many uses, and were just nice to look at, Rozzie accepted the gift and set it on her desk. She’d bring it home with her and put it in a vase later. “Thank you very much. I’ll treasure it always,” she said, stifling a giggle as she stood from her seat and guided the young Cold Caller towards Parts & Services. “Now, let me do a quick check on that motor of yours. It sounds like  _ someone’s _ in need of a tune up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> /chugs loving the vp juice as i make him the most op ever/

**Author's Note:**

> please play toontown rewritten im so lonely


End file.
